Despite the increasing popularity of mobile PCs, the desktop does and always will have a place, according to industry experts.
The notebook market makes up 55% of the total computer market, and desktops 45%, according to Dell business unit manager Mandy Porter.
While she says that numbers are tipping in favour of mobile technology, recent research results from Gartner show that, following very strong growth in the past two years, demand for mobile PCs is steadying.
Mobile PC shipment growth has, in fact, dropped to single digits in the third quarter of 2010, as opposed to 30% and 50% for the last two years. Desktop growth, on the other hand, has shown consistent strength, registering a fourth consecutive quarter of shipment growth.
According to Porter, this is because the desktop is a niche product, which will always have a place in certain markets.
DionWired sales consultant Andre Tolo says the desktop market has become so small that DionWired hardly stocks desk-based computers at all. However, it continues to stock Apple Macs and a few high-end HPs. These computers are still popular, with Apple being sought for its multimedia capabilities, and HP for gaming.
HP PSG product specialist Deon Botha says specialised machines at a high price point have applications in correspondingly specialised markets. He gives the example of traders who need super-fast processing speeds and designers who need huge amounts of RAM to run CAD software.
“Both of these applications are more suited to desktops. While workstation type notebooks are available, you simply cannot pack as much technology into the body of a portable notebook as you can into a static desktop, otherwise the notebook devices start becoming too heavy to carry around."
He says the desktop also finds a place at the low end of the market, because it is correspondingly cheaper to furnish schools and other institutions with desktops, and upgrading can be done component-by component.
According to Botha, markets for the desktop still exist, but vendors and distributors need to assist resellers by creating awareness of these markets and help to target them.
Share